Pneumatic pump.



O. R. PPAU.

PNEUMATIC PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1911.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 O. R. PFAU.

PNEUMATIC PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1911 1,090,873. Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

0. R. PFAU.

PNEUMATIC PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1911 1,099,873 Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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OTTO R. PFAU, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

PNEUMATIC PUMP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OT'ro R. PFAU, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Pumps, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in pneumatic pumps and more particularly to pumps for supplying country homes and other places, not provided with water systems, with fresh water.

The complete system comprises a water supply, a means for compressing air and storing the same under pressure and a pumping mechanism for automatically utilizing the air pressure to elevate the water to the faucets from which the water is drawn, but as this invention relates only to the pumping mechanism the specification and the drawings will be confined solely to the said pumping mechanism.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a pneumatic pump which is simple in construction and automatic in operation and is strong and durable.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pneumatic pump which is very compact in size and may be inserted within a tube of comparatively small diameter so it may be used if desired in the tubes of driven wells.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pneumatic pump in which a fluid under pressure is adapted to actuate the pump controlling mechanism and when utilized for this purpose the same fluid is afterward used as a medium for directly acting upon the water to be elevated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pneumatic pump in which the valves controlling the admission and discharge of the pressure fluid to the controlling mechanism are positively and instantaneously operated and are so constructed as to form an air tight closure on their seats.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pneumatic pump in which the con Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 24, 1911.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914. Serial No. 640,203.

trolling valves are positively locked in open and closed positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pneumatic pump in which the same passageways communicating between the valve chambers and the water chamber are adapted to be used both for inlet and outlet passageways.

lVith the above, and other objects in view, the invention relates to improvements in the pneumatic pump and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views Figure 1 is a side view of the pneumatic pump, parts broken away and other parts shown in section to illustrate interior construction, a medial section of the water chamber being removed for convenience of illustration; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the pump taken on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top view of the pump, the supply pipes leading thereto being in section; Fig. 4 is a horizontal transverse sectional view thereof taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a horizontal transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a similar View thereof taken on line 6-6 of the same figure; Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 77 of Fig. 2; Fig. 8 is a similar view taken on line 88 of Fig. 2; Fig. 9 is a vertical longitudinal sectional detail View of the pump taken on line 99 of Fig. 4; Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal sectional detail view of the pump taken on line 101O of Fig. 4; Fig. 11 is a vertical longitudinal sectional detail view of the pump taken on line 1111 of Fig. 4; Fig. 12 is a vertical longitudinal sectional detail view of the pump taken on line 12-12 of Fig. 3; Fig. 13 is a sectional detail view taken on line 13-13 of Fig. 4; Fig. 14 is a sectional detail view of one of the air valves; and Fig. 15 is a horizontal sectional detail view of the yield ing casing and adjacent parts.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 15 indicates the air cylinder, 16 the upper head thereof and 17 the water cylinder which is connected to the lower end of the air cylinder and forms the lower head 18 thereof. The upper and lower heads and the water cylinder are positioned eccentric with relation to the air cylinder. A piston rod 19 extending through the upper head of the air cylinder and in said cylinder to a point near the bottom portion thereof is provided with adjustable stop collars 21 and 22 and a floating piston 23 within the air cylinder and surrounding the rod is adapted to play up and down in said cylinder between the stop collars. The stop collars are so positioned on the rod at points near the opposite ends of the cylinder that when the piston has nearly reached the end of its reciprocation it will engage one of the collars and move the rod a short distance.

The piston is of the double acting type and is provided on opposite sides thereof with leathers 21 which are formed with annular inner and outer flanges 25 and 26 which engage the piston rod and the cylinder wall respectively to form a slidable air tight fit. The upper cylinder head 16 is provided with a stuffing box 27 through which the rod extends to form an air tight packing for the rod. A yielding casing 29 loosely surrounds the upper end of the piston rod and this casing carries a coiled spring 30 which surrounds the rod and is interposed between a collar 31 loosely mounted on the rod and a slotted sleeve 32 within the upper portion of the casing and fast thereto. The loose collar 31 normally rests on an inwardly projecting shoulder in the lower end of the casing 29 and on a collar or shoulder 31 fast on the rod 19. A stud pin 33 projecting from the piston rod and extending through the slot of the sleeve 32 and through a slot 3% in the casing is provided with an antifriction roller 35 which is adapted to alternately engage one of the tripping dogs 36 pivotally mounted on the casing 29 and connected with a standard 37 projecting upwardly from the upper cylinder head 16. These dogs are in the form of bell cranks and are pivotally connected at their elbows to the free ends of arms 38 which in turn are pivoted to the standard 37 by screws 39.

The inner longer legs 40 of the bell cranks extend toward and overlap each other and are pivoted together on a stud 29 projecting from the casing 29, as shown in Figs. 2, 12, and 15. The shorter legs ofthe bell cranks are rounded 011 one edge as indicated by the numeral 11, Fig. 12, and these rounded portions are the parts engaged by the anti-friction roller The dogs are also provided with laterally projecting stop lugs 4:2 which engage the edges of the arms 38 and limit the forward movement of said arms and dogs. A coiled spring 43 surrounding a screw 41 and having its ends 4C5 bent at an angle and engaging the dogs 36 serves to move said dogs with a quick positive movement when they are alternately swung to operative positions by the piston rod 19. As shown in Fig. 12, the pivot connections between the dogs 36 and arms 38 are movable alternately toward the path of the roller 35 into and slightly past alinement with the pivot screws 39, and the movement of the casing 29 in each direction is thus arrested and the spring 30 is compressed before the piston rod 19 completes its movement in the same direction. The reaction of the spring 30 upon the casing 29 when it is released by the tripping of the dog 36 toward which the roller 35 is advancing, imparts a quick positive final movement to said casing and the air valves connected therewith. The spring 13 acting alike on both dogs 36, tends to hold them in either of their extreme positions into which they are shifted by the recoil of the spring 30 after they are tripped by the roller When the piston 23 in its upward movement engages the collar 22, the casing 29 being held stationary by the upper dog 36 and arm 38 occupying the relative positions in which they are shown in Fig. 12, the collar 31' lifts the loose collar 31 and compresses the spring 30 between it and the stationary sleeve 32, the collar 31 passing up- 'ardly through the contracted opening in the lower end of said casing while the pin 33 moves up in the slot of said sleeve. \Vhen the casing 29 is released by the tripping of the upper dog 36 by the roller 35, the recoil or expansion of the spring 30 shifts the easing 29 upward, instantly reversing the positions of the air valves and of the dogs 36, and carrying the shoulder at the lower end of said casing into engagement with the collar 31. When in its downward movement the piston 23 engages the collar 21, the continued movement of the piston with the rod 19 in the same direction compresses the spring 30 between the downwardly moving pin and the stationary collar 31 resting on the shoulder at the lower end of the easing 29, which is temporarily held by the lower dog 36 and arm 38 against downward movement with the piston rod 19. Upon the tripping of the lower dog 36 by the further downward movement of the roller the recoil or expansion of the spring 30 shifts the casing 29 downward, instantly reversing the positions of the valves and of the dogs 36 and carrying the sleeve 32 into engagement with the upper end of said spring.

A valve controlling member 416 pivotally connected to and positioned between two up standing posts 17 is provided with inwardly and outwardly extending arms 48 and 49 respectively. The two outer of the inwardly extending arms 48 are pivoted to the opposite sides of the casing 29 by screws 50 and are rocked by the casing. These arms, six in number, have depending therefrom valve stems 51, 52, 53, 5 1, 55 and 56 respectively which extend through stuffing nuts 57 threaded into the upper cylinder head 16 and are provided with rubber faced valves 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 and 56. These valves are all adapted to be moved simultaneously to open or close the respective air ducts or passageways which they control.

An air inlet pipe 58 extending from a source of supply is threaded into the upper head 16 and the said head is provided with a horizontal duct 59 which leads from said pipe to the valve ducts 60 and 61 which are controlled by the valves 52 and 55 respectively. This duct extends above the valve seats of said valves. The valve duct 60 extends through the upper head and into the air or piston cylinder 15 above the piston 23 and the valve duct 61 extends downwardly in the form of a tube 62 which is tapped into the upper and lower heads. The lower end of the tube communicates with a horizontal duct 63 which leads to the air cylinder below the piston. As the valves controlling the ducts 60 and 61 are connected to opposite arms of the valve member 46 the air will be alternately admitted to the cylinder on opposite sides of the piston. lVhile the air under pressure is entering the air cylinder beneath the piston and forcing said piston upwardly the air above the piston, still under pressure, is passing out of said cylinder through the duct 60 to the duct 6A which connects the duct 60 with the angular valve duct 65 of the valve 54 above said valve, as shown in Figs. 5 and 11. As this valve is in open position the air will pass down the duct 65 through the tube 66 and into the water chamber 67 of the cylinder 17, as shown in Fig. 1. The tube 66 is threaded in both air cylinder heads in the same manner as the tube 62.

The water cylinder 17 is provided with a vertical partition 68 which divides the said cylinder into two water chambers 67 and 69, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8. Each water chamber at the bottom portion thereof is provided, as shown in Figs. 1 and 8, with inlet check valve controlled openings 70 and 71 which permit the water to enter the respective chambers when the air pressure is released therefrom. The bottom portions of the water chambers are also provided, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, with discharge ducts 72 and 73 which communicate with the vertical discharge duct 74; formed integral with the water chamber wall. Spring pressed check valves 75 and 76 normally closing the discharge ducts are adapted to be alternately and automatically opened by the pressure to which the water in said cylinders is subjected. When the water in either chamber is subjected to pressure, the valve of that chamber is opened, while the valve of the other chamber is held against its seat by such pressure. A water discharge pipe 77 extending upwardly from the discharge duct 74 is connected to the ordinary plumbing (not shown) of the house in which the system is installed so that the water may be drawn by simply turning a faucet.

The air under pressure in entering the water chamber 67, which has previously fill-ed with water through the check valve controlled inlet opening 70, will force said water through the duct 72 by the valve 7 5 and up through the duct 74 and the pipe 77 to the plumbing as before explained.

lVhen the piston has almost reached the upper end of its movement it will engage the upper stop collar 22 and move the piston rod upwardly against the tension of the spring 30 surrounding said rod and when the rod is almost at the end of its stroke the roller 35 will engage the upper dog 36 and force its pivotal connection with the upper arm 38 backward out of alinement with the pivots 29 and 39, whereupon the spring 30 will instantly shift said dogs to their extreme opposite position, in which they will be held by the spring 43 until they are again tripped and shifted in the reverse direction. The quick positive movement imparted to the casing 29 by the spring 30 instantly reverses the air valves, opening the valves 51, 52 and 53 and closing the valves 54:, 55 and 56. As soon as this reversal takes place the air which was forcing the water from chamber 67 will pass back through the tube 66 and thence through the short duct 78 shown in Figs. 5 and 13 to the valve chamber 79 below the valve 51. As this valve is now in open position the air will pass through the valve chamber and to the exhaust chamber 80 and out of said chamber through the exhaust pipe 81 to the atmosphere. Then the compressed air is entirely exhausted from the water chamber 67 the water surrounding said chamber will enter the chamher through the check valve in the bottom of said chamber.

Simultaneously with the before mentioned movements the air which before passed into the air cylinder 15 beneath the piston 23 will now pass through the duct 60, the valve 52 now being open, and enter the cylinder above the piston and force said piston downwardly and the air in the cylinder beneath the piston and still under pressure will return through the tube 62 to the valve duct 61 and as the valve 55 is now closed the air will pass through the duct 82, shown in Figs. 5 and 10, to. the valve duct 83 above the valve 53 and as the said valve is open it will pass by the valve and through the duct 84, shown in Figs. 5, 9, and 10, and from the duct 84 to the tube 85. The tube 85 extends from the upper to the lower air cylinder head and a duct 86 formed in the lower head extends from the tube 85 to the water chamber (39, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 7 The air in this chamber will force the water out of said chamber through the discharge duct 73 and up the discharge duct 74: before described. lVhen the water in the water chamber 69 has been entirely discharged the air controlling mechanism will be again operated and the air pressure reversed as before described. lVhen this reversal has taken place the air within the water chamber 69 will return through the duct 86, the tube 85 and the duct 84: to the valve duct 87 controlled by the valve 56 and as this valve is in open position, as shown in Fig. 9, the air will pass down through this duct and through the duct 88 which connects the lower portion of the valve duct to the exhaust chamber 80, as shown in Fig. 5. From this chamber the air passes out through the exhaust pipe 81 before mentioned.

In order to provide an air tight closure between the valves and their seats the valves, as shown in Fig. 14, have rubber covers 89 vulcanized thereon which form a yielding connection between the parts and insure a tight closure. The metal disk portions 90 of the valves are provided with a plurality of apertures 91 which are filled with the rubber to form a better connection between the rubber and the metal.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the pneumatic pump is adapted to be connected to the water supply system of a building or other supply pipe and that when any of the faucets or the supply pipe is opened the water will flow therefrom in a steady uninterrupted stream as long as air under pressure is supplied to the pump.

The pump is strong and durable and is not liable to get out of order.

It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to any specific form or construction of parts except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is:

1. A pneumatic pump, comprising a pressure medium cylinder, a piston within said cylinder, a liquid chamber, and a means actuated by the movement of the piston for directing the pressure medium from the cylinder to the liquid chamber to force the liquid out thereof, said pressure medium moving the piston before being so directed.

2. A pneumatic pump, comprising a pressure medium cylinder, a piston within said cylinder, liquid chambers, and a means actuated by the reciprocation of the piston for alternately directing the pressure medium from the cylinder to each liquid chamber to alternately force the liquid out thereof, said pressure medium moving the piston before being so directed.

3. A pneumatic pump, comprising a pressure medium cylinder, a floating piston within said cylinder, liquid chambers provided with inlet and outlet openings having check valves, ducts connecting the pressure medium cylinder to the liquid chambers, and means actuated by the reciprocation of the piston for alternately directing the pressure medium from the cylinder through the ducts to each liquid chamber to alternately force the liquid out thereof, said pressure medium moving the piston before being so directed.

a. A pneumatic pump, comprising a pressure medium cylinder, a floating piston within said cylinder, liquid chambers provided with inlet and outlet openings having check valves, ducts connecting the pressure medium cylinder to the liquid chambers, valves controlling said ducts to alternately direct the pressure medium from the cylinder to one of the liquid chambers to alternately force the liquid from said chambers, said pressure medium moving the piston before being so directed, and a means actuated by the reciprocation of the piston for moving the valves.

5. A pneumatic pump, comprising an air cylinder, a rod extending into said cylinder and provided with shoulders, a floating piston within the cylinder and adapted to engage the shoulders, Water chambers provided with water inlet and outlet openings having check valves, ducts connecting the cylinder to the water chambers, valves controlling said ducts to alternately direct the air from the cylinder to one of the water chambers to alternately force the water from said chambers, the air moving the piston before being directed into a Water chamber, a lever member for moving all of the air valves simultaneously, and a means actuated by the movement of the piston rod for moving the lever member.

6. A pneumatic pump, comprising an air cylinder, water chambers, air ducts some of which communicate with the air cylinder and others with the water chambers, valves controlling said ducts, a member arranged to actuate all of said valves simultaneously, a piston rod extending into the air cylinder and provided with shoulders, a piston within the air cylinder and adapted toengage the shoulders, a yielding connection between the piston rod and the valve actuating memher, and a means actuated by the piston rod for locking the yielding connection alter nately in opposite positions.

7. A pneumatic pump, comprising an air cylinder, water chambers, air ducts some of which communicate with the air cylinder and others with the water chambers, valves controlling said ducts, a member arranged to actuate all of the valves simultaneously, a piston rod extending into the air cylinder, and provided with shoulders, a piston fitting within the air cylinder and adapted to engage the shoulders, a yielding connection be tween the piston rod and the valve actuating member, and means operated by the yielding connection and by the piston rod for locking the yielding connection alternately in opposite positions.

8. A pneumatic pump, comprising an air cylinder, water chambers, ducts some of which communicate with the air cylinder and others with the water chambers, valves controlling said ducts, a member arranged to actuate all of the valves simultaneously, a piston rod extending into the air cylinder and provided with shoulders, a piston fitting within the air cylinder and adapted to engage the shoulders, a yielding connection between the piston rod and the valve actuating member, and means pivotally connected with a stationary part and with said yielding connection and actuated by the piston rod for locking the yielding connection alternately in opposite positions.

9. A pneumatic pump, comprising an air cylinder, water chambers, air ducts some of which communicate with the air cylinder and others with the water chambers, valves controlling said ducts, a member arranged to actuate all of the valves simultaneously, a piston rod extending into the air cylinder and provided with shoulders, a piston fitting within the air cylinder and adapted to engage the shoulders, a yielding connection between the piston rod and the valve actuating member, bell cranks pivotally connected with a stationary part and with said yielding connection and actuated by the piston rod for locking the yielding connection alternately in opposite positions, and means for yieldingly holding said levers in locking positions.

10. A pneumatic pump, comprising an air cylinder, water chambers, air ducts, some of which communicate with the air cylinder and others with the water chambers, valves controlling said ducts, a member arranged to actuate all of the valves simultaneously, a piston rod extending into the air cylinder, and provided with shoulders, a piston fitting within the air cylinder and adapted to engage the shoulders, a yielding connection between the piston rod and the valve actuating member, arms pivoted to a stationary part of the pump, bell cranks pivoted at one end to the other ends of said arms and to the yielding member for locking the yielding connection alternately in opposite positions, means for yieldingly holding the levers in locking positions, and means carried by the piston rod for shifting the bell cranks.

11. A means for positively operating the valves of a pneumatic pump, comprising a valve actuating member, a reciprocating member, a casing yieldingly carried by the reciprocating member and connected to the valve actuating member, bell cranks pivoted to the casing, a support, arms pivoted to the support and to the bell cranks, a spring carfloating piston surrounding the rod within 1 said cylinder between the stop collars; water chambers having inlet and outlet openings provided with check valves; a discharge pipe communicating with said outlet openings; air ducts communicating with opposite ends of said cylinder and with said water chambers; valves controlling the air ducts; a pivotally mounted valve actuating member having oppositely extending arms connected with the air valves; a slotted casing movably mounted on the piston rod, ope atively connected with the valve actuating member and having an inwardly projecting shoulder at one end; a pin carried by the piston rod and projecting through the slot in said casing; a loose collar mounted on the piston rod and normally bearing against the shoulders of said casing and rod; a spring surrounding the piston rod within the casing between said loose collar and pin; arms pivoted to a fixed part of the pump and extending toward each other; bell cranks pivoted at one end to said casing and at their elbows to the free ends of said arms, adapted to be alternately projected into the path of the piston rod pin, and provided with stop lugs to limit their movement toward the path of said pin; and a spring engaging the bell cranks and adapted to hold them in their extreme position.

13. In a pump for elevating liquids the combination of an air cylinder having a compressed air supply connection, a piston in said cylinder, a liquid chamber having valve controlled liquid inlet and outlet openings and connected by an air duct with said cylinder, and valve mechanism operated by said piston and controlling the admission and release of compressed air to and from said cylinder, the admission of compressed air from said cylinder to said liquid chamber and the release of air from said chamber.

14. In a pump for elevating liquids the combination of an air cylinder having a compressed air supply connection, a piston in said cylinder, liquid chambers each conand to release the air from said chambers 10 nected by an air duct with said cylinder and alternately.

having valve controlled liquid inlet and out- In testimony whereof, I afiix my signalet openings, and valve mechanism operated ture, in presence of two Witnesses. by said piston and adapted to admit and re- OTTO R PFAU' lease compressed air to and from opposite ends of said cylinder alternately, to admit WVit-nesses: compressed air from opposite ends of said O. H. KEENEY, cylinder to said liquid chambers alternately KATHERINE HOLT.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenu. Washington, D. 0. 

